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China to increase missiles aimed at island: Taiwan
A Taiwan Defence Ministry report says China intends to increase the number of missiles targeted at the island to 1,960 this year, despite steadily warming ties between the two sides.
A copy of the document obtained by The Associated Press on Monday, described in the summary as an analysis of China's current military deployment against Taiwan, said if the island were attacked by its giant neighbour today, over 90 per cent of its infrastructure would be destroyed.
It also said China aims to build a military strong enough to take over Taiwan and block off external interventions — a possible reference to U.S. help for the island — by 2020.
China and Taiwan split amid civil war in 1949, but Beijing continues to claim the island as part of its territory.
Since Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou took office two years ago, he has significantly improved ties to boost the island's economy and reduce cross-strait tensions.
He has repeatedly urged China to remove missiles aimed at Taiwan, but to little avail. He wants to maintain a strong military, as well, to protect the island.
Defence Ministry spokesman Yu Sy-Tue said the report, published in March, emulated only a possible scenario of a Chinese attack. He said the official Taiwanese count of Chinese missiles aimed at the island stands at 1,300.
Yu said the report was one of many conducted by Taiwan's military personnel, and he did not attribute any particular significance to it.
Political Scientist Alexander Huang at the Taipei-based Tamkang University Graduate Institute of International Affairs and Strategic Studies said, however, continuing Chinese military buildup would make Taiwanese "more resistant to political dialogues on sensitive issues with the mainland."
Taiwan defence report: China to increase missiles aimed at island to about 2,000 this year - Winnipeg Free Press
A Taiwan Defence Ministry report says China intends to increase the number of missiles targeted at the island to 1,960 this year, despite steadily warming ties between the two sides.
A copy of the document obtained by The Associated Press on Monday, described in the summary as an analysis of China's current military deployment against Taiwan, said if the island were attacked by its giant neighbour today, over 90 per cent of its infrastructure would be destroyed.
It also said China aims to build a military strong enough to take over Taiwan and block off external interventions — a possible reference to U.S. help for the island — by 2020.
China and Taiwan split amid civil war in 1949, but Beijing continues to claim the island as part of its territory.
Since Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou took office two years ago, he has significantly improved ties to boost the island's economy and reduce cross-strait tensions.
He has repeatedly urged China to remove missiles aimed at Taiwan, but to little avail. He wants to maintain a strong military, as well, to protect the island.
Defence Ministry spokesman Yu Sy-Tue said the report, published in March, emulated only a possible scenario of a Chinese attack. He said the official Taiwanese count of Chinese missiles aimed at the island stands at 1,300.
Yu said the report was one of many conducted by Taiwan's military personnel, and he did not attribute any particular significance to it.
Political Scientist Alexander Huang at the Taipei-based Tamkang University Graduate Institute of International Affairs and Strategic Studies said, however, continuing Chinese military buildup would make Taiwanese "more resistant to political dialogues on sensitive issues with the mainland."
Taiwan defence report: China to increase missiles aimed at island to about 2,000 this year - Winnipeg Free Press